1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of seat belts for passenger vehicles such as automobiles. In particular, the present invention relates to a safety device for altering the angle of the shoulder belt as it comes across the passenger's body when fastened to cause the degree of arc by the shoulder belt to be oriented away from the passenger's neck.
2. Background of the Invention
In general, seat belts are well known in the prior art. One type of seat belt is pulled from a retractable retaining mechanism and spreads across the user's lap and is removably locked in a receiving mechanism so that the seat belt restrains the passenger from being thrown out of the seat. Such belts are conventionally found in passenger transportation vehicles such as airplanes and in the rear seats of vehicles such as automobiles. They are conventionally known as lap seat belts. A second type of seat belt is a shoulder belt which is pulled from a retractable holder located above and to one side of the passenger seat and comes across the passenger's torso and is removably locked in place by a receiving mechanism located below and to the opposite side of the passenger seat. The shoulder belt also serves to restrain the passenger from being thrown forward in the event of a sudden stop or accident. These are conventionally known as shoulder seat belts. One problem with many shoulder seat belts is that the diagonal angle of the arc of the shoulder seat belt frequently comes in contact with the passenger's neck and is uncomfortable. It may rub against the passenger's neck and also snap against the passenger's neck in the event of a sudden stop or accident, thereby possibly causing injury. Such shoulder seat belts are commonly found in the front seats of passenger automobiles. A combination belt frequently used in modern day passenger automobiles is a combination of a lap seat belt and shoulder seat belt having single locking mechanism. The lap seat belt is removably retained in a retracting mechanism below and to one side of the passenger seat while the shoulder seat belt is removably retained in a retractable storage mechanism located above and to the same side of the passenger seat. The ends of both belts are joined to a single mating clip which is in turn removably fastened to an engaging mechanism so that the lap seat belt spreads across the passenger's lap and the shoulder seat belt comes diagonally across the user's torso. The same problems with the shoulder seat belt exist in the combination as with the individual shoulder seat belt.
There is no know apparatus or method by which the diagonal direction of the shoulder seat belt can be altered to continue to provide security for passenger restraint while at the same time causing the angle of the shoulder seat belt to be moved away from the passenger's neck and thereby remove the discomfort and possible hazard. A significant need exists for such an improved device.